Apparatus fob distilling heavy hyebocabbons



W. D. P. AIMS.

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HEAVY HYDROCARBONS, SHALEl AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. I5, 1920.

1 ,405,704 Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

HEAVY HYDRUCARBONS, SHALE, AND THE UKE. APPLICATION FILED Nov. I5, 1920.

Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

3 SHLETS*SHEET 2.

W. D. P. AIMS.

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HEAVY HYDROCARBGNS, SHALE, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. T5. 192D.

Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT orrics.

WILLIAM D. P. AIMS, OF PHILADELIHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. "7, 1922-.

Application illed November 15, 1920. Serial No. 424,010.

To all wko/m, 1i/may concern:

Be it known that I, WiLLiAM D. P. AIMS, a citizen of the United States residing at Philadelphia, in the County of rhiiadeiphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Distilling Heavy Hydrocarbons, Shale, and the like, of which the following is a specification.

The principal objects of the present invention are. first, to provide an apparatus for distilling heavy hydrocarbons, requiring a cracking or carbonizing temperature which will not be clogged or Stopped by the resulting coke or solid carbon and which may be operated continuously; second, to provide simple, efficient and easily controllable'apparatus for distilling or evaporating hydrocarbons from oil bearing shale, rock, sands. heavy hydrocarbons and other viscous material; and third, to provide an apparatus of the kind specified in which heat is economically applied and in which large quantities ot' material can he treated at the same time so that quantity production is effected. Other objects of the invention as well as its principal features will appear from the following description at the end of which the invention will be claimed.

Referencefwill be made to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, and in which- Figure 1, is a side view principally in section of an apparatus embodying features of the invention.

Fig. 2, is a top or plan view partly in section of the same, and

Figs. 3 and 4. are sectional views taken on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Figure 1.

ln the drawings 1 is a shell or housing equipped to retain heat as by means of a heat insulating lining 2. This shell 1, is horizontally divided into a rectangular heating chamber Il below. and a pyramidal vaporizing chamber 4 above, by a partition. This partition consists of a plate or floor 5, extending across the shell 1 and provided with vertical walls (i. The partition or plate 5, is provided with a series of parallel slots in which conveyor screw troughs 7 are arranged so as to extend between the end Y walls (l. The troughs 7 are shown as suspendcd by flanges on their elongated side walls S. and as closed at their ends by the and walls C. so that the upper and lower chambers are separated by the plate 5, the

end walls 6. and the troughs 7. From one of the ends of each trough 7 vthere extends a. screw conveyor inlet casing 8 which is fitted through the end wall of the shell 1 and connected through the wall 6, and which is also provided with a feed hopper 9.' The feed hoppers 9, are made to achoin so that they can be filled by a crosswise traveling car or conveyor or otherwise without waste of niaterial. From the other end of thetroughs thereextends a series of similar screw conveyor outlet casings 10, which discharge onto a cross conveyor apron v11, arranged in a suitable housing 12. 13 are a series of conveyor screws and they extend along the troughs 'Z and through the screw conveyor casings.A 8 and 10, of which the ends are closed by caps 14, and bearing pieces 15 constituting packing boxes. The ccsings 8 and 10, and the screws 13 are long enough to contain sufficient comminuted material for preventin the escape of the distillate through tiiese casings. 16 and 17 are sleeves and rings for connecting up and supporting tho Sections which make up the casings. 18 are inlet pipes arranged beneath the troughs 7, and by which superheated vsteam or combustible fuel is introduced for heatin the contents of the troughs, and 19 is an o -take or exhaust connection. 20, are pyrometers by means of which the heating of the troughs is controlled through the regulation of the valves 21 and 22. The screw conveyor shafts 23, extend through the pecking boxes 14 and 15, at the ends of the inlet casings 8, and are geared together by toothed wheels 24, and idlers 25, and this train of gears is driven by tight and loose pulleys 26. 27 are columns for su porting the structure, 28 are man and sig t-holes, and 29 is an off-take for the distillate or vapor.

The solid material to be distilled. in comminuted form, or heavy hydrocarbon is fed into the lioppers 9 and the feed screws 13, working in unison continuously carry it through the casings 8, and through the troughs 7, where it is exposed to regulated heat and gives up its vaporzablc oil content, which is led oft from the oli-take 29. From the troughs the material'is carried through the casings` 10, and discharged onto the conveyor 11, which may Simp deposit it upon a dump, or carry it to anot er similar distil'ling apparatus, and in the latter case the distillation may be a fractional one. Evidently a large bulk of material is treated at the same time, although each screw meV .com aratively little of it, and the fact that allo Y the material is treated in one heat, and the provision of a proper distribution of the apc Carbon, usuali' inl the form of coke, re-

ult'Ir fromsnc high temperatures as are inten edto'be used in the described apparatus, does not choke the apparatus because the conveyor Ascrews keep the mass stirred andi-broken up, sov that the carbon is continously fed out vthrough the casings l0.

The higghrside walls 8"., of the troughs permit mass to' rise Without escaping from the Y troughs and cause the t the .Game can means below the troughs and all enclosed in with t into upper and lower chambers and open to the upper chamber,

" joining each other andl feedin'i mass to fall back on screws which carry it out of In case of an accidental jam, be'released by tools inserted through the openings 28. In consequence of the continuous removal of the coke the apthe conveyor the machine.

Y'paiatus may be operated without interruptionV for cleaning it.

4I claim: f 1. Apparatus f or distilling heavy hydrons comprising the combination 'of a shell having a" distillate oit-take, a plate arranged across the shell, a seriesof troughs havin extended side walls and forming with t into upper and lower chambers and open to the u erchamber, conveyor-screw easings exten lng from the ends of the troughs outside of the shell, conveyor screws in the troughs `and casing, and individual heating means below the troughs and all enclosed in the lower chamber, substantially as described.

2. Apparatus for distilling heavy hydro carbons comprising the combination of a shell having a distillatepff-take, a plate arranged across the shell, a series of troughs havin extended side walls and forming e plate a partition dividing the shell conveyor-screw casings extending from the ends of the troughs out- 'sid'e of the shell, conveyor screws in the.

troughs andv casing,A individual heating the lower chambers, a row of hoppers adinto the inlet conveyor-Screw casings, an a cross-cou- .veyor onto which all the outlet conveyore plate a partition dividing the shell screw casing-s discharge, scribed.

3. Apparatus for distilling heavy hydro carbons comprising the combination of a shell having an enclosed heating chamber below and a separate` enclosed distillate chamber'` above, troughs having their bottoms exposed to the heating chamber and their tipps open'to the distillate chamber, means in the heating cfhamber for applying heat to the bottoms (i 'the troughs, screwconveyois in the troughs for breaking up and removing coke, and screw-conveyor casings extendingbeyond and outside of the shell and into which the screw-conveyors extend to oppose escape of distillate, substantially as, described.`

4. Apparatus for distilling heavy hydrocarbons comprising the' combination of a shell having an enclosed heating chamber below and a separate enclosed distillate chamber above, troughs havin their bottoms exposed to the heatin c amber and their -tops open to the distillate chamber,

means in the heating chamber for applying heat to the bottoms of the troughs, screw conveyors in the troughs for breaking up and removing coke, screw-conveyor casings extending beyond and outside of the shell and into which the 'screw-conveyors extend to oppose the escape of distillate, a train of gear Wheels arranged at the ends of'the inlet oasings for driving the screws in unison, and a conveyor onto which the outlet casings discharge through lateral openings provided in their cylindrical walls, substantially as described.

5. Apparatus for distilling heavy hydrocarbons comprising the combination of a substantially as depyramidal distillate chambe superposed on generally rectangu ar heat'pig chamber, a

the heating chamber, a parti ion separating said chambers and having end walls space Y `from the corresponding walls of the heating chamber, troughs of which the ends are stopped by the end walls and which depend from the partition and openinto the distillate chamber, screw conveyor casings opening through the end walls into the troughs and passing through and beyond thewalls of the heating chamber, screw-conveyors in the casings and troughs, and means in the heating chamber for heating the troughs, substantially as described.

WILLIAM D. P. AIMS. 

